Winter Morris became expansive and a little fussy. Jeremy, after a hesitant glance, laid the treasure on Peregrine’s blotter. There was a discussion with the museum man about temperature and fire risks and then a procession of sorts formed up and they all went into the back of the circle, Jeremy carrying the blotter.

‘On your right,’ Morris said unnecessarily.

The panel in the circle was open and so was the door of the safe. Jeremy drew out the black velvet easel-shaped unit, tenderly disposed the glove upon its sloping surface and flanked the glove with the two documents.

‘I hope the nap of the velvet will hold them,’ he said. ‘I’ve tilted the surface like this to give a good view. Here goes.’

He gently pushed the unit into the safe.

‘How do the front doors work?’ he asked.

‘On your left,’ Morris fussed. ‘On the inside surface of the wall. Shall I?’

‘Please, Winty.’

Morris slipped his fingers between the safe and the circle wall. Concealed lighting appeared and with a very slight whisper the steel panels on the far side slid back.

‘Now!’ he said. ‘Isn’t that quite something?’

‘We can’t see from here, though, Winty,’ Peregrine said. ‘Let’s go out and see.’

‘I know,’ Jeremy agreed. ‘Look, would you all go out and tell me if it works or if the background ought to be more tilted? Sort of spread yourselves.’

‘ “Some to kill cankers in the moss-rose buds”?’ Alleyn asked mildly.

Jeremy looked at him in a startled manner and then grinned.

‘The superintendent,’ he said, ‘is making a nonsense of us. Emily, would you stay in the doorway, love, and be a liaison between me in the circle and the others outside?’

‘Yes. All right.’

The men filed out. Morris crossed the circle foyer. Peregrine stood on the landing and the man from the museum a little below him. Alleyn strolled to the door, passed it and remained in the circle. He was conscious that none of these people except, of course, the museum man, was behaving in his or her customary manner but that each was screwed up to a degree of inward tension over which a stringent self-discipline was imposed. ‘And for them,’ he thought, ‘this sort of thing occurs quite often, it’s a regular occupational hazard. They are seasoned troops and about to go into action.’

‘It should be more tilted, Jer,’ Peregrine’s voice was saying. ‘And the things’ll have to be higher up on the easel.’

The museum assistant, down on the first flight, said something nasal and indistinguishable.

‘What’s he talking about?’ Jeremy demanded.

‘He says it doesn’t show much from down below but he supposes that is unavoidable,’ said Emily.

‘Wait a bit.’ Jeremy reached inside the safe. ‘More tilt,’ he said. ‘Oh, blast, it’s collapsed.’

‘Can I help?’ Emily asked.

‘Not really. Tell them to stay where they are.’